Thana
“Will that be all for you gentlemen?” The peppy store clerk asks Sharati and Alas as they rummage around in their coin pouches. “Yes, thank you.” Sharati replies, as he puts his half of the payment down on the counter, looking to Alas to do the same. Alas follows suit, afterwards turning to his friend and patting him on the back. “Alright big guy, you know the drill. You pack the supplies.” Sharati grunts as he lifts his now generously weighted pack onto his back. As Alas effortlessly puts his pack on, Sharati sighs. “Why am I always the one that has to drag the supplies up the mountain? Come on Al can’t you help out a bit more?” Alas sighs, “Sharati, you outweigh me by nearly 200 stone. We’ve been over this ya?” “I suppose, but I’m just not happy bout it. Just because I’m a Goliath doesn’t mean I got to be everybody’s damn pack horse,” after a short pause Sharati grins, “but then again all this weight would probably break your dainty Elven bones.” He lets out a thunderous laugh as he slaps Alas on the back, nearly knocking him over. Alas looks at his hysterical companion stoic and disappointed, and then straightens himself. “Come on you hyena, lets get back to the Monastery,” Alas says as he turns to leave, but just then he feels a slight tugging at his belt. '' ''In one fluid motion Alas instinctively reaches back to grab the hand of the pickpocket, pulling it forward and across his outstretched foot, which he wraps around the ankle of the thief. As they fall towards the ground in front of him, and without releasing their wrist, he quickly pins their arm behind their back and cups the underside of their jaw, ready to apply a deadly amount of pressure. Sharati realizes the full extent of the situation before Alas does, as he was able to see the perpetrator Alas was about to strangle before Alas could. “Whoa, whoa, ease up Al,” Sharati says as he lightly pulls Alas’ arm and subsequent hand away from the small girl’s throat. Alas realizes who he has captured and relaxes, feeling slightly guilty of the situation, but not enough to release her wrist. The small wood elf begins pushing against his hand as she grunts, “Let go!” She seems unfazed by the fact that Alas nearly ended her life without a second thought. At the same time a falsetto voice behind the Monks shrieks, “Oh! You horrible little child! How many times do I have to tell you to get the hell out of my shop and away from my customers!” Alas turns to see the store clerk emerge from around the counter, she turns to him looking apologetic. “I’m so very sorry, this horrid creature has been terrorizing my shop for weeks now, I keep threatening her never to come back but she doesn’t even care! You gentlemen stay just there and I shall go fetch the guard. I’m sick of her, and she has had plenty of chances to amend her actions.” She attempts to push past Alas and Sharati, but Alas stops her, looking curiously at the elf who stood only a third of his height, fighting with all her might to get away from him. Unafraid and determined. “Actually I think we can handle this if you don’t mind. We’ll just step outside so as to not disturb your store any longer.” She looks slightly confused, if only for a moment, then she turns back towards the counter shrugging. “Sure, do whatever you want to that spawn of evil, I don’t care.” Alas and Sharati exit the building, thief in tow, and when they are sufficiently far away, Sharati puts his hand on Alas’ chest. “Al, come on. She is just a little girl. Can’t be more than 10, so young for an elf…” he trails off as he looks at the still struggling girl, who has now resulted to attempting to bite Alas through his hand wraps. A futile endeavor. Alas, turning to her, says, “So young, and yet already so strong.” This causes the small child to pause from attempting to gnaw off his hand. He crouches down to her, “Who are you little girl?” She turns away from him, stating defiantly: “I’m nobody.” “Well, where are your parents?” She looks back at him, there is a slight sadness only barely perceptible in her eyes, but she hides it well. “I don’t have any. They left. Now can you let me go?” Alas sighs, “Sure kid, I’ll let you go. But you ought to stand around for what I got to say, if you’re inclined. It’s your choice, okay?” he says making eye contact with her mismatched eyes. “I don’t want another lecture, I’ve had plenty of those." Alas smiles, “I’m sure you have, but not from me,” he releases her wrist, “I think you’re brilliant.” Her arm falls to her side, but she doesn’t move. She simply looks up at him inquisitively. “What?” she says, almost a whisper. “I think you’re brilliant. You’re smart and strong, surviving all on your own. You have a great strength, and I know somewhere where that will be appreciated and accepted. You see, I come from an Order of monks, and we don’t often recruit new members, but I think you would do well within the Order.” The girl looks at Sharati, clearly skeptical. Sharati nods, and smiles. “She’ll do great.” Alas extends his hand to the girl, “I’d like to show you my home, but it’s your choice. Your decisions have kept you alive this long, and no one is going to try and take that power away from you. But, if you are ready to find a home where you will be appreciated and loved, take my hand.” She knows that this man could be lying to her, she knows the risks of going with him, but it sounds too good to pass up. She takes his hand. Backstory Thana is a Monk belonging to The Order of Liminal Observation, an organization of monks dedicated to the study of Death and the Afterlife. Early Life Abandonment When she was 4 years old her parents took her on a journey in an attempt for their family to escape the poverty and abuse of their former town, Herrit. About a year into the journey, Thana got sick. Her parents, being too poor to pay for medicine and having just enough money to finish their journey, abandoned Thana at the nearest town of Kaet. Thana lay there in an alleyway, on Death's door. But, miraculously, she began to get better. When she finally regained consciousness after 3 full days of lying in the alley, she found herself all alone. Over the next years she lived on the streets, doing whatever she could to stay alive. She learned how to move fast and be quick with her hands, stealing what she could in order to get by. She also learned how to take a beating, and how to escape the guard. After 5 long years, she met Alas and Sharati, two monks affiliated with The Order. The Monastary After joining she grew up in the Monastery, learning about Math, Interimal and other subjects. They taught her how to defend herself, and how to read people. She became incredibly loyal to the Order, never questioning what they told her, always doing what they said. After 20 years, she was ready to begin the process to being Fully Ordained. They showed her what the Monastery truly did, what they believed and the future they envisioned for her. Over the next 100 years she began her study of Death and the Afterlife. She learned to commune with Death, learned various methods of killing and studied under some of the senior-most monks, primarily Alas, as Sharati had died decades earlier. The Rite Her training culminated in one sacred ceremony, The Rite. In which Thana was required, as all the other initiates set to be fully ordained are, to take her first life for the purpose of study. The method is always the initiate's choice, but the ceremony is required to take no less than 4 hours so as to truly observe the process of passing on. It is said that she never used a weapon across the entire 6 hours her Rite took. After Thana's ceremony, she was Ordained. She appeared before the Council for them to review her studies and determine her place within the Order. They gave her the highest honor by bestowing the title of "The Hand" onto her. Being the "Hand of the Order of Liminal Observation" means that she is to venture out into the world doing the Order's bidding. Periodically they will send her instructions for which she is to carry out with the upmost urgency, spreading the will of the Order all across Isteroth. The Hand of the Order Thana has served as the Hand of the Order ever since, still their ever-loyal servant unquestioningly carrying out their will. Past missions Below is a list of confirmed past missions which Thana has carried out for the order. # Deep Carbon Observatory (Age 137)* # Aersinderin Spy Mission (Age 159) # Lich Lair (Age 164) # Senator Sabotage in Polianthros (Age 178) # Blackblood Pirate Raid (Age 191) # Fallen Star (Age 271)** # Cassiro Nights (Age 280)** # Bodyguard in Elluin (Age 281) # Artifact Hunt (Age 281) # Vesnian Murder (Age 282)** *Missions carried out as part of a team **Missions carried out with Teth SilverstarCategory:Folks